On the Record

The Write Stuff. PR professionals may not have the pleasure of seeing their
bylines in print, but good writing is still a necessary part of the media relations
craft. This was the consensus among Internet reporters speaking at the Publicity
Club of New York's "Meet the Media" luncheon Feb. 10. Thomas Goetz, New York
bureau news editor for The Industry Standard and TheStandard.com, said
releases are too often riddled with jargon and acronyms. And CNBC producer Renay
San Miguel complained that some snoozer pitches "read like stereo instructions."
When pressed for an example of a good plug, San Miguel cited the launch announcement
for http://www.maximag.com, which touted the lead,
"Survey says 83.5 percent of all Web sites suck."

Another insight: journalists won't feel compelled to honor embargo rules if they haven't been contacted prior to receiving an embargoed release, Goetz warned. And "exclusive
means exclusive," he urged. It doesn't mean The Industry Standard and The New York Times.